A fire pit is an ultimate compromise between a bonfire and a fireplace. It doesn’t just bring warmth to the place but also makes for a mesmerizing focal point. A stylish pit design will take any outdoor lounge area to the next level. Available in a variety of shapes and materials these convenient little bonfires can do almost anything. Some come with decorative design elements that add more style points to your outdoor area. While others are fitted with grill grates for cooking food. And even if a fire pit is strictly decorative you can always use long sticks to make some delicious marshmallows.
Stylish Sunken Fire Pit Designs
Överby House by John Robert Nilsson features an incredible sunken outdoor seating area with a square stone fire pit right in the middle. This type of seating areas always attracts attention. And a fire pit makes for a great accent that amplifies the impression.
Stone fire pits are incredibly stylish and can be built from the same materials as your kitchen countertops. Marble, granite, quartz and other stones are perfect for it.
Hufft Projects have designed a Curved House in Springfield, Missouri. And with it they built a rounded square fire pit that sits in the middle of a sunken seating area.
Space around the pit is covered with gravel making for a clean neat look and ensuring the cleanliness of the terrace into which the seats are built.
David Coleman Architecture designed a house near Winthrop, Washington with an incredible deck that houses a large fire pit opening. Of course, its size was meant to allow some space for the residents’ feet and the flame is safely contained within a metal bowl pit to prevent the fire from spreading.
Ezequiel Farca designed this fire pit for a private residence. The grand sunken seating area is the first thing that grabs attention but there’s far more detail to it.
Teal cushions make another layer of detail and certainly add a touch of luxury to the stone cold look. The fire pit’s siding boasts a puzzle-like texture that gives the concrete space a bit more dimension.
Square Fire Pits
Baran Studio Architecture designed this backyard enhancing it with a cement fire pit. A simple square design is perfect for the material because the dark grey and geometric shapes work very well together.
It can easily be replicated at home. And it is probably best ran on gas or bio fuel if you want for it to be sustainable and eco-friendly.
Arterra Landscape Architects is responsible for this entire landscape. Its white stone tiled floors interrupted with dark river rocks match nicely to a square fire pit that has enough room for holding drinks.
Tiles are another way to decorate a self-built stone fire pit and make it more uniform with your landscape design.
Table Fire Pit Designs
Solus Decor specialize on fire pits. Their incredible table-shaped fire features are perfect for small backyards and luxury homes alike. Made of polished the concrete Halo Elevated table cradles the flame but raises it far away from the ground unlike its low version Halo Low.
Available in different sizes and colors both tables are perfectly fit for holding glasses or even the small plates. And what can be better than having a drink with friends around fire?
Outdoor GreatRoom creates incredible table fire pits. The Uptown Crystal Fire Pit Table is a perfect luxury pit that has it all – space, safe flame, and the wow factor.
This is an example when a fire pit design can bring so much more to your backyard than just the flame.
Their Wave Fire Pit Table is completely out of this world. Equipped with the three interwoven tube burners that are enclosed in a glass box the pit emanates beautiful teeth-shaped flame that flickers in the bed of onyx fire glass.
So, if you want to kill two birds with one stone and combine functionality and art in your fire feature, go with the similar sculptural design.
Social Circle Firepit by Sticks+Stones is definitely an eye-catcher. With its generous tabletop and sunken flame it looks elegant and stylish.
Even when made of a rougher material like concrete fire pits can look quite exquisite. The right shape and polish can help you achieve the look if you’re planning on DIY.
Bowl-Shaped Fire Pits
Fire bowls are so popular because they are easy to move and they always look nice. Regardless of material and size, there is some undeniable charm about bowl-shaped fire pits. One of the Simo Design‘s project features a gorgeous big fire pit set in a gravel-covered backyard. Placed near the swimming pool the flickering concrete bowl adds a special charm to the place.
There is also a special connection between all the elements of this landscape. Warm wooden accents soften the cold stone greys of concrete and gravel. And water makes for a nice natural contrast to the fiery element.
Another Solus Decor pit design is called Hemi and it is a gorgeous smooth concrete bowl on a stand. Available in a wide variety of colors and sizes the pit comes with three fuel types and can really make a statement with or without the fire stones.
A big fire bowl like that is a perfect option even for a small outdoor area. Nay, especially for a small area since there it will stand out even more.
Metal Fire Pits
Marmol Radziner‘s desert house features a simple rusty red bowl fire pit you can find in any store with outdoor accessories. But the seats here are playing a no small role in giving the fire feature an unusual look.
While the fire may look magnetizing unusual seats can make the outdoor area even more interesting. So don’t underestimate their decorative power.
Tóth Project Architect Office has designed a home with a very basic but inviting backyard. With wooden stumps that form the square stools around a rusty metal bowl it seems like a true camping fire rather than a designed area.
Such simple materials as wood and metal work especially great in the natural landscapes.
Unusual Fire Pit Shapes
Scott Torrance Landscape Architects‘ rooftop fire pit features a beautiful rock bed and an unusual shape thanks to the contrasting cone-like lid with a cut-off top that allows the flame out.
Old tree stump seats and log benches amplify the campfire impression that the pit’s design creates in this very urban-looking landscape.
Ion is a Romanesque solid steel structure, as described by DecorPro, that truly looks different from the all the familiar fire pits we’ve seen so far. Obviously inspired by the classical Roman architecture the pit is bound to make an impression.
Another great feature is that it allows a resting area for skewers for making barbeque or a rotisserie chicken. That’s how you combine appearance with functionality.
In a continuing quest for something different fire pit enthusiasts will appreciate the Boo Fire Basket. Designed by Martin Kalin of Skargaarden it features a black lacquered steel frame that can be flipped on either side and used for different purposes.
While the wider basket can hold up to a few logs, the smaller one can fit a lantern for those hot summer nights when you want a bit of flicker without the heat.
Created by Outtrade design Sywawa Brandy Fire Pit comes in a shape of (you guessed it) a brandy glass. Standing tall on its leg this fire basket makes a perfect fire pit with its bowl-shaped bottom.
While this is one of the most unusual pits we’ve seen it surely looks functional. Even without the flame though it can make quite an impression in your backyard.
Multifunctional Design
Another unusual design comes in a form of a Stahl Firepit whose geometric shape that can be easily disassembled for easy storage and which develops a natural patina with each use.
Thanks to its clever design the pit requires no tools for assembly and is easy to move whenever there is a need.
höfats‘s CUBE is a practical little fire pit that can be used for its intended purpose as well as sitting. Made of 100% stainless steel CUBE also features a wooden tabletop so it can function as a side table.
Due to its solid fire bowl CUBE always remains in balance while the openings on the top allow to fire to show through. A grill grater can also be fitted on top of the fire for some light cooking.
DIY Fire Pit Ideas
If you’re not afraid of a challenge and some hand work here is a concrete fire bowl tutorial from Man Made DIY. With some patience and practice you can too become a proud owner of such a grand fire feature.
It will take just under $50 (for materials) and a few days of work as you allow the mixture to set and polish it to the desired finish. The result is definitely worth.
Finally, such a mundane thing as an old washing machine drum can become quite an accent if you put fire to it. House & Fig offers a tutorial on how to do it just right.
An upcycled discarded drum makes for not only an affordable (it only costs $10) but it’s also a sustainable and eco-friendly fire pit. Not to mention that it looks no worse than some designer metal pits.
Stone Fire Pits
This fire pit by Greenfield is not exactly a bowl shape but it’s close. But the fire pit itself is not the most important thing about this outdoor area. It’s the decorative colorful rock and boulder bed that surrounds the pit and creates this incredible look.
You may not handcraft your own fire pit but you can surely take note of such interesting rock bed.
This stone fire pit by Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture is truly a work of art. The boulders create a very natural shape in the green landscape.
Fire pits are great at any season. In the summer they can be used to scare away the mosquitoes and bugs while in fall and winter provide a heat source for outdoor lounging. There are a lot of options to choose from and things to try to DIY. But of course fire safety should always be your primary concern.
